Turning more than one page

Dr Alberto Costa

We at ESO are turning important pages in the history of our service to the European cancer community. We now invite you to turn the pages of Cancer World, which we hope you will find both an informative and enjoyable read.

Readers of our printed edition will have noticed that a new chapter has begun in the life of our magazine. We are dedicating our cover stories to exploring the big topics in oncology that define our era, starting in this issue with a look at the under-reporting of toxicities associated with new drugs.

A group of talented young illustrators has been tasked with capturing the essence of each story, and their artwork will appear on the cover of every issue.

Our commitment to passing on the insights and experiences of the women and men who are leading change across the world of cancer – which used to feature as cover stories – remains as strong as ever. The focus will shift, however, to the new generation of emerging leaders, whose stories will be told in a new Profile section, starting with Fedro Peccatori, who has just taken over as Scientific Director of the European School of Oncology.

We will continue to cover clinical and scientific issues in our popular e-Grandround and Cutting Edge features, as well as stepping up our coverage of cancer policy and organisation, giving a voice to people living with cancer, airing debates on contentious issues, and addressing issues in global cancer care.

We will also be broadening our base of journalists to include contributors from a wider range of European countries, and tripling our print run to 16,000 copies, to be distributed by post, through libraries of the major European cancer institutes, and at congresses and conferences.

If you are a longtime reader of Cancer World, we hope you will appreciate these changes, which we feel are in step with the changing world of oncology as well as the maturing of our own magazine.

If this is your first time reading Cancer World, we welcome you. Published by the European School of Oncology, under the strapline “Shaping the Future of Cancer Care”, the magazine provides a platform for information and inclusive discussions about how to improve support and care for people with cancer.

It is an important extension of the educational work that has been the core mission of ESO since it was established in Milan, in 1982, by the Italian surgeon Umberto Veronesi, with a few close collaborators from across Europe and across disciplines – Franco Cavalli, Louis Denis, Michael Peckham, Bob Pinedo.

As Veronesi’s young (at the time) assistant, I had the priviledge of directing the School for 33 years, stepping down at the end of last year to take up my new role as Editor of Cancer World.

Most of ESO’s funding comes from an endowment set up with a legacy from a family of wealthy Italian industrialists. Some of our activities, including this magazine, are supported by a group of sustaining partners who take part in the Sharing Progress in Cancer Care programme (see opposite).

We at ESO are turning important pages in the history of our service to the European cancer community. We now invite you to turn the pages of Cancer World, which we hope you will find both an informative and enjoyable read.